The Purkal ministry of women and child development
With the State grappling with this risky and unpredictable asset, civil society intermediations are imperative to bridge that yawning gap between expectation and delivery. NGOs have a huge role to play in channelling this segment of the population. Whether this sort of dependency is desirable is a separate matter.

Caritas India: Good work needs to be seen and heard too
A key difference vis-à-vis traditional NGOs is that Caritas India works with numerous partner organisations and invests its resources in building up their capacities and also provides technical and organisational assistance for the same. Another important thing to note is its presence in all major cities and across most states in India, including the o

BoscoNet beneficiaries: They lived to tell their tale
In order to understand the impact that their interventions are making, CauseBecause decided to hear it from the recipients of their services. While it would not have been possible to reach out to all, we have collated here a few quotes from some of the beneficiaries...

Pradan and the Indian SHG movement
In Pradan’s model, social mobilisation is the basic building block – and the underlying philosophy is that in rural development people with the right capabilities are more important than material resources.

Inde et Nous: Small NGO, big commitments
A group of friends travelling from a foreign land could not tolerate the miseries of children in Indian slums. They decided to do something, take a first step in making a difference to a few, if not all. They sensitized their own people in another country about a few children's conditions in India, raised funds and established Inde et Nous...

Social Entrepreneur of the Year: Goonj makes its mark
Goonj has demonstrated that cloth can be a powerful resource for the development of India’s poorest communities. It channels excess resources lying waste in urban households to impoverished rural and disaster-prone areas. Village and slum communities, in exchange of cloth and material, conduct self-organized local development and infrastructure buildi

Sristi: Holding hands with the grassroots innovator
The inspiration for the network can be understood from this point of view: While there are numerous public/private channels for diffusing innovations produced in the formal sector, similar channels with regard to informal innovations are not available. Despite all claims about participatory research and action, seldom are creative innovators...

Vatavaran: The cleaning brigade
At least eight per cent of India’s landmass has become wasteland due to open garbage dumps. These dumps are breeding ground for infectious diseases like plague, cholera, tuberculosis, jaundice, and numerous skin aliments. The unmanaged garbage also leaves behind a spate of civic woes...

Dr Shroff’s: Charity began in a one-room eye clinic
With constant support from patrons and friends, SCEH has remained committed to the founding principle of doing a minimum 50 per cent of the annual work free of cost for those who cannot access it otherwise...